Very simple app or gps to just know your speed

[Osterman]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

 

[trecile]

I use mapy.cz for this.

You record your walk and you can see your stats at the end:

 

[henrythedog]

I use my watch and a map. I could use my ‘phone, but when on Camino I prefer to have that switched-off and packed away.

I’m curious - feel free to point out that it’s none of my business - why are you interested in your speed as opposed to simply ‘where am I and what time is it?’.

 

[unadara]

@Tincatinker (again massive Thanks) advised me last week to download mapy.cz as I was on Camino Vadiniese in bad weather approaching. I can now say I will always use it, I found it invaluable. I didn't know it could record your walk, now I've a new task to learn. (I also use my Garmin swim 2 watch but it has to be charged, another lead carried, another task every day/pain) I was always against the Phone/apps but walking solo it's now essential.

 

[trecile]

I found it invaluable. I didn't know it could record your walk, now I've a new task to learn.

It's really easy. Just tap the menu button



Then choose "Start Tracker"

 

[Osterman]

I use my watch and a map. I could use my ‘phone, but when on Camino I prefer to have that switched-off and packed away.

I’m curious - feel free to point out that it’s none of my business - why are you interested in your speed as opposed to simply ‘where am I and what time is it?’.

Just to know if I have to speed up or if I can take it easy

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Like @trecile, on the occasions I want this information I also use mapy.cz. Ironically I did exactly that today....
I downloaded it for use on less travelled trails, it's free, easy to figure out and some functions can be used offline (in airplane mode). That spares battery and data. Plus you can actually even use the map should you decide to wander or stay off route for example.
You can also use it on your laptop, which gives you additional features - route planning for example.
It operates and has maps worldwide, download it at home and have a play - you can always delete it if you don't like it.
I even discovered a trail in my local area that I knew nothing about!

 

[J Willhaus]

I just look at my Samsung health and ignore the stuff that isn't really important to me.

 

[Walkerooni]

I just look at distance in km on my watch, and divide by time in hours, and voila! I get very close. No app, no calculator, just math in my head, because really--what else is there to do when my mind is completely empty out there!?

 

[Pilgrim9]

When I just need to know my speed, but don't need a map or directions, I use an app called SpeedSound. It is a voice (i.e., speaking) speedometer.

 

[Landa]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

Hi

Have a look at STRAVA.

• It gives you a degree of analysis of your activities, helping you gain some insight on the amount of work and amount of progress you are doing.
• Strava connects millions of runners, cyclists, hikers, walkers and other active people through the sports they love.
• https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&s...AQFnoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2VpWtDectKWMorWu_GfD04

 

[Osterman]

I just look at distance in km on my watch, and divide by time in hours, and voila! I get very close. No app, no calculator, just math in my head, because really--what else is there to do when my mind is completely empty out there!?

Usually watches don't tell you distance, they only tell you hours and minutes.
What kind of watch do you have? Is it a smartwatch?

 

[Walkerooni]

Usually watches don't tell you distance, they only tell you hours and minutes.
What kind of watch do you have? Is it a smartwatch?

Just a Fitbit.

 

[PiesIrlandeses]

Gronze.com provides stage maps with distances in kilometres between individual points on the stage.

Divide your distance travelled by hours to get your km/h.

 

[Osterman]

Gronze.com provides stage maps with distances in kilometres between individual points on the stage.

Divide your distance travelled by hours to get your km/h.

That was my original idea, but it only works if you are at a specific point, not if you are in between.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Although I downloaded Wikiloc to record and follow tracks I also use it during local walks to check how I'm doing with my exercise. It gives distance, time, speed and elevation information in a large font making it easy to read even while walking. You can choose between metric and imperial units. The distance is given to two decimal points. For the other pieces of information you can swipe to change what is shown. For speed you can see current or average speed or average pace. For time you can pick from recording, moving or total time (you can pause from recording). The elevation data can be switched from current elevation to elevation gain or loss.

Like I said, I got the app for a different purpose so I put up with the one thing I don't like about it, it computes average speed using moving time, not total time thus making it look like I'm covering ground faster than I really am. I want to get a feel of how long it will take to complete future walks so I want to include those tiny breaks taken during the walk that I don't pause the app for. To get the speed I really want while still moving I use the calculator and the distance and the recording time two ways.

1) I keep walking to either 6 minutes after an hour or 3 and convert to hours and tenths or or half of tenths (e.g., 1.1 or 2.15) and then divide distance by hours in decimal time.

2) Usually only done at the end of the walk I convert the hours and minutes to just minutes, divide the distance by minutes and multiply the result by 60.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hmm, my Fitbit displays my "pace", live speed over ground when walking in Minutes per Mile (other systems of measurement are available). It, naturally displays that as Zero if I stand still to consult it . It will also display my average pace. Though I have to stop and activate that feature which, of course, reduces my average pace . Younger persons, less afraid of tripping and falling, may be able to use that feature in ease.

What it also does is record my total mileage at any given point so if the Fitbit tells me I've walked 15 miles of a 20 mile walk at xpace I can take a fair fling at how much longer I'm going to be walking for. I'm unlikely to speed up unless I'm 200m from the bus stop and the bus is already there or I'm half-an-hour walking distance from the pub and its 35 minutes till closing-time.

To be honest I use the damn thing mostly to monitor my heart rate on climbs so that I can take a view on whether I should take a break but I also use its records as a means to keep my cardiologist and GP off my back. Though I'm always a little chuffed if it tells me I'm getting anywhere near a 15 minute mile....

 

[Coverbid]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

Hi, Try Mapmywalk app

 

[Shazzza]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

Duffy app is great for distance, steps,

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

I like the app MapMyWalk or Strava. Duffy is great but I don’t think it measures pace (speed)

A FitBit will be a less expensive option than a smart watch. Investing in an apple ultra or garmin (even a used/reissued) will be most accurate and so worth it if you want to measure pace, distance, steps, HR etc.

I love data so I use all the things.

 

[CTLawGal]

I like my Apple Ultra, bought right before I left on my first Camino and was very pleased with long battery life and quick charge features - appreciate this may not be helpful for someone not using Apple products.

I set mine on "hiking" which displays elevation gain instead of speed, which I found more useful - less concerned about mph on long walks and it was interesting to note elevation gain on some of the steeper parts of the Norte and Primitivo. I have a pretty good idea of my pace and know what slows it down, but can't recall a time I wanted to speed it up.

For some reason, the distance on my watch was always more (and never less) than the distance indicated on my route, but it was helpful to keep track of how far I'd walked and how much further I might have to go (but a little frustrating on a long day to see that when I thought I only had a couple of miles left based on my route, it turned out I actually had to walk more than that, ha!).

One feature I really like on a smart watch is being able to pay for things with a tap of my watch (at all places that accepted credit cards, and almost all accepted tap), it meant not having to take anything out of my pack to pay.

 

[Tincatinker]

the distance on my watch was always more (and never less) than the distance indicated on my route,

The guide books and apps give the door to door distance between town centre to town centre or some similar datum.

They take no account of the additional distance acquired by walking to a bar or cafe, diverting into a supermarket or nipping into the bushes for tinkle.

The accumulation can be disquieting

 

[Calvin & Hobbes]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

You could try Strava or Under armour's Map-My-Walk. I find Strava to be a bit more accurate. Both can be used offline.

 

[William H B Mawhinney]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

I know your problem, I wanted to know my speed walking on different surfaces and with different loads and found that some of the small Garmin etrek GPS receivers used on sailing boats and for trekking, have a screen with the current speed over ground (SoG), very useful and powered by 2 AA batteries, they can be turned on and off for only a few minutes to check your data after setting up correctly. They can be easily found second hand.

 

[Pilgrim9]

For some reason, the [GPS-derived] distance on my watch was always more (and never less) than the distance indicated on my route.

Distances derived from GPS are the sum of the calculated differences between a series of logged locations that were determined from received GPS signals, as one moves along.

Often, the determined locations are a little bit in error due to various technical reasons such as the GPS signal having been reflected off of a flat metal surface such as a building, side of a truck, etc. These constant measurement errors are descriptively called "jitter" in my part of the world but might have other names elsewhere. Anyway, these errors cause the series of GPS-perceived locations to continually deviate back and forth from one side to the other of, or forwards or backwards from, one's actual position. This increases the sum of the distances between the logged positions. The end result is that the GPS-derived distance and speed will usually be greater than actual.

Once in a while, because of weak signals, GPS will fail to log part of a series of locations. If this has occurred when one's route included a leg, and a sharp turn, and another leg, then the GPS position-logger will not be aware of those intermediate positions and will think you took a shortcut. It will report a shorter distance and a slower speed than actual.

 

[Rita Flower]

I use Ride with GPS. It shows the route and distance and is you scroll down -or slide up? - you get a lot more details.

 

[LTfit]

Just a heads-up regarding smartwatches - not all are created equal. For years I had a Fitbit and not the cheapest model, but it way underestimated the distance walked. In 2022 when I rewalked the Norte at the end of the day I would check my numbers with a fellow pilgrim who had a top of the line Garmin. My Fitbit was consistently underestimating the total distance walked, often by more than 5 km. Since I wanted a smartwatch with gps for the Olvidado I invested in a mid price range Garmin. Since I use it everyday, for me it was worth the €250.

Although I don't need incentive to move (I have a dog), I like seeing what my speed and distance is on my daily walks. You can set a personal step goal (mine is 20,000) or the amount of flights of steps you want to walk (mine is 12). I see it as a fun tool and as it also serves as my watch it's always with me. I wouldn't want to be using my phone daily for that purpose although out of necessity I did when walking the Olvidado since I needed to follow Wikilocs tracks.

Just to know if I have to speed up or if I can take it easy

Curious to know why you need to know this. Most just walk their "normal" pace.

Usually watches don't tell you distance, they only tell you hours and minutes.
What kind of watch do you have? Is it a smartwatch?

Smartwatches will give you time walked, distance, speed, etc. but as I mentioned above, not all smartwatches are made equal. My Fitbit calculated distance based on the total steps walked using my pre-determined stride length whereas my Garmin uses GPS points. The later is much more accurate.

 

[Osterman]

Curious to know why you need to know this. Most just walk their "normal" pace

Some paces are more normal than others (cit.).
In fact, I have not a single normal pace, I can speed up or slow down, as I suppose everyone can.
For example, if you want to be at the end of your stage by, let's say, 2 o'clock, you can adapt your pace according to the average speed you are walking.

 

[aussie62]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

i just downloaded the first app that came up that was free "pedometer " its green and has all the basics and you can fine tune if your interested . I just want to see my steps in a split second and then thats it

 

[Tincatinker]

my pre-determined stride length whereas my Garmin uses GPS points

Ah, tech innovation. My Fitbit uses GPS. The comparisons I’ve made over a few known/ mapped distances have suggested accuracy to +/- 0.1%.

It, self corrects after a walk through the Greenwich tunnels and even measures my 2 to 3 trips to the bathroom per night with remarkably consistent accuracy

 

[LTfit]

Some paces are more normal than others (cit.).
In fact, I have not a single normal pace, I can speed up or slow down, as I suppose everyone can.
For example, if you want to be at the end of your stage by, let's say, 2 o'clock, you can adapt your pace according to the average speed you are walking.

Most people can increase or decrease their speed, that's obvious, but in my experience there is a "sweet" pace which one can walk for hours on end without too much effort. I may be an exception but on a Camino my pace always averaged out to be the same, 5.5 kph even on mountainous routes, this is just my natural pace. At home walking my dog I like to increase this pace but still maintain a relatively even pase and stride. Whatever works for you

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

I've used Geo Tracker for many years on my Android. It's free in the Play Store. I've tried several free and paid trackers and this one is by far the simplest to use and provides much useful information about your hikes. There's a pay version too, but I've never investigated the perks for the added cost. The free version gives me everything I need.

 

[Bolso100]

Buenas tardes.
Probablemente sea una pregunta trivial, pero la pregunto de todos modos.
¿Existe alguna aplicación para Android o un reloj GPS muy barato sólo para distancia/tiempo y por tanto velocidad?
En mi Samsung tengo una aplicación que se llama Salud, pero es demasiado complicada e innecesaria.
Además, los relojes inteligentes suelen tener datos no solicitados, como altitud, clima, frecuencia cardíaca, etc., por lo que son bastante caros.
Mi necesidad es muy sencilla, solo quisiera saber cuanto tiempo he caminado, que distancia he recorrido y por tanto cual es mi velocidad.
Gracias.

App , Sports Tracker

 

[MarianneF]

Good afternoon.
Probably this is a trivial question, but I am asking nevertheless.
Is there a app for Android or a very cheap gps watch only for distance/time and therefore speed?
On my Samsung I have an app called Health, but it is far too complicated and unnecessary.
Also, smartwatches usually have non requested data, such as altitude, weather, heart, etc, thus are quite expensive.
My need is very simple; I just would like to know how long have I walked, what distance have I walked and thus what my speed is.
Thank you.

I have a Amazfit watch. (Cheap model).It uses the ZEPP app. I cannot be without it as I have an abnormal heart rate. It monitors my heart rate at all time other than distance walked, speed, etc. I have to stop for a bit or slow down on days my heart starts going wild.

 

[Paul-CH]

For example, if you want to be at the end of your stage by, let's say, 2 o'clock, you can adapt your pace according to the average speed you are walking.

Yes, that's right, everyone can adjust their pace a little. But to judge whether you will arrive on time, you not only need to know the distance of the route, but also the meters of altitude you still have to climb and descend.
If you can run straight ahead at 6km/h, you will usually slow down going uphill. Depending on the surface, it won't be any faster downhill either.

 

[emmanuel]

My fitbit gives me number of steps. Given that my step is about 80 cm, I do the mental calculation in a second. Not 100% accurate, but close.

 

[Robo]

I used 'Strava' on my first Camino to get an idea of speed/pace for planning.
We've used 'Map my Walk' at home during training.

On Camino I don't really worry about it, as I know my 'average' speed now and can estimate how long it takes to get to places. Only of importance of course if racing to catch last orders for a Menu del Dia!

For GPS I tried Wikiloc which is very popular, but I found it overly complicated to use.
A bit 'bloated' in functions maybe.
And it did some weird things like it kept telling me I was heading in the wrong direction (like 180 degrees wrong)

For a simple GPS I use Maps.me. Love it. Easy to use and also shows me on the map what is nearby.
Easy to load up GPS 'tracks' from other sources.
In fact you just click on the track file and it asks you what 'app' you want to open it in.

As I get close to my accommodation I usually switch to Google Maps. (if the location is not obvious)

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

For GPS I tried Wikiloc which is very popular, but I found it overly complicated to use.
A bit 'bloated' in functions maybe.
And it did some weird things like it kept telling me I was heading in the wrong direction (like 180 degrees wrong)

When you startup Wikiloc somewhere between a track's start and end points it doesn't know which way you are going to head so the developers assumed that you would walk the longest distance. If you go the other way it will correct itself. I wrote about this in more detail in the paragraph numbered #3 in the following post:

Thread 'Wikiloc oddities, searching, tips, help'

Oct 29, 2019

I'm currently on a camino and I've been using Wikiloc. I've discovered a few oddities that I want to report.

1) Not discovered on the camino but an oddity none the less is the red square at the bottom on the display. I believe that there is some ISO standard that says that a square is to indicate a stop button. The Wikiloc square indicates a pause button. However, once pressed you are presented with a menu to either resume or stop.

2) When I became an unpaid member of Wikiloc I set the distance units I wanted to be feet and miles. I since took a paid membership and downloaded the app. On...

• Rick of Rick and Peg

• 

Its a somewhat old post so some tweaks may have been made to the Wikiloc code since.